Recognizing the 75th Anniversary of the City of Baytown, Texas

Floor Speech

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Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 75th anniversary of the incorporation of the City of Baytown, located in both Harris and Chambers Counties, Texas.

Present-day Baytown was incorporated on January 24, 1948, combining the communities of Goose Creek, Pelly, and Baytown. Baytown is situated on the Texas Gulf Coast and is home to several of America's critical waterways: the Galveston Bay system, the Houston Ship Channel, and the Port of Cedar Bayou. It also shares the bay with the San Jacinto State Historic Site and San Jacinto Monument, where Texas gained its independence from Mexico in 1836. Early settlers of Baytown assisted the Texian Army during the Runaway Scrape.

Pioneers arrived in the area in the early 19th century and became known for rice farming and, later, brickmaking due to the high-quality clay found in the region. Over the course of a century, up to 12 million bricks a year were made at Cedar Bayou and shipped to Galveston.

Baytown, and the surrounding region, are known worldwide as innovators in the petrochemical industry. In 1908, the Goose Creek Oilfield became Texas's first offshore drilling operation and paved the way for significant growth and development. During World War II, the research conducted at the Baytown Refinery contributed to producing essentials like 100-octane fuel used in planes. Today, Exxon's Baytown Refinery is among the largest in the United States. Over the decades, many other leaders in the petrochemical industry have established a significant presence in Baytown and nearby communities. In addition to its industrial history, Baytown has long been committed to preserving the region's natural resources: saltwater and freshwater fishing, native marshland habitats, and waterfowl migration paths.

The following men have served the citizens of Baytown as Mayor: E.D. Cleveland; J.A. Ward; R.H. Pruett; Al Clayton; C.L. Liggett, MD; Seaborn Cravey; C. Glen Walker; Tom Gentry; Emmett O. Hutto; Allen Cannon; Pete C. Alfaro; Calvin Mundinger; Stephen H. DonCarlos; and Brandon Capetillo, who currently serves as Mayor.

Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct honor to recognize and celebrate the 75th anniversary of Baytown. May God bless this town and its citizens even more richly over the next 75 years.

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